BILL LANKHOF, QMI Agency

The 20-year-old from Westmount, Que., has won the hearts of tennis fans and captured the imagination of the media while ascending to No. 7 in the world rankings, higher than any other Canadian woman in history.

But what she couldn’t win Saturday was what she most desired – the Wimbledon championship.

Bouchard’s fantastic run at the All England Club hit an impenetrable wall in Petr Kvitova, who won her second Wimbledon title with a dominating 6-3, 6-0 win.

It was the most lopsided final at Wimbledon in 22 years and it lasted just 55 minutes as Kvitova tore apart Bouchard’s game.

“She put the pressure on me and took away my chances. The few times she was off-balance, I was a bit hesitant. I didn’t have many answers on court, that’s the bottom line,” Bouchard, the first Canadian woman ever to reach a Grand Slam final, told reporters.

The match opened with Bouchard serving. She hit Kvitova’s return into the net. It was an omen of difficulties to follow.

Kvitova relentlessly attacked Bouchard’s serve. She hit the ball deep, keeping Bouchard from creeping in from the baseline. Kvitova not only hit the ball hard, she hit it at unreturnable angles.

“I have to give credit to (Kvitova),” Bouchard said. “She didn’t give me many opportunites to stay in the rallies and do what I do.”

This was a match that Bouchard didn’t so much lose as it was one that Kvitova won with a dominating, clinical performance.

For Bouchard the dream lives, but the reality stings. She spoke afterward about how special it was to walk onto Centre Court; spoke of peeking at the Royal box; spoke of how she has dreamt since age nine of winning this event; spoke of her appreciation of Wimbledon’s history and how much she has felt the love fans have given her here since she won the Wimbledon junior title in 2012.

“It’s a tough road to be as good as I want to be and I know I’m not going to win all the time. I will learn from this. It was a big moment to walk out on Centre Court ... I hope I can do it again many times.”

There is little doubt among tennis pundits that she will be back. That she will someday watch the engraver carve her name onto the winner’s plate. But Saturday that moment belonged to Kvitova.

In the third game, Bouchard found herself at break point twice. She survived the first, but then hit a return into the net and Kvitova had the early advantage 2-1.

It was the 12th time in this tournament that Bouchard had been broken and it was just the beginning of her frustrations.

It was also a sign of the domination that would follow.

Kvitova hit an ace up the middle. Then came a long rally, a great volley by Bouchard and a superb cross court return by Kvitova. It all added up to game point for Kvitova and a 3-1 lead that had the crowd on their feet applauding as Kvitova gave a small fist pump.

Only once did Kvitova face break point. Everything she did worked. Everything Bouchard tried failed.

When the Czech pinned Bouchard to the baseline with a hard serve, Bouchard miss-hit a ball near the umpire’s chair.

That gave Kvitova the first set. It was also the first time in the tournament Bouchard had lost a set.

“I didn’t feel I was able to play my game,” said Bouchard. “She took the chances away from me.”

Bouchard came in the tournament seeded 13th. Anyone ranked that low isn’t expected to win a Grand Slam event. Particularly not Wimbledon. Maria Sharapova in 2004 was last 13th seed to win the prestigious tournament.

But Bouchard has blasted her way into the heirarchy of the tennis world. She plays like a blue-collar worker, has the demeanor and charm of the girl next door, the media savvy of a veteran and she is marketing gold – Her Royal Blondness.

“She is a sensation,” said former Wimbledon champion Chris Evert prior to the match. “She is on the back page of all the tabloids in Britain. There has always been discussion: ‘Who is the next Martina. Who is the next Maria’.

“Yes, She wants to be herself, Eugenie. She says she wants to make her own history. But finally we have someone who will stay at the top.”

Saturday, Bouchard had to settle for being near the top. Kvitova schooled her in much the same manner Roger Federer subdued another Canadian pretender to a Wimbledon crown when he beat Milos Raonic Friday in the men’s semifinals.

In the second set, Bouchard started to show her exasperation when, already trailing 1-0, she fell behind 15-30 in the second game, hitting a return into the net.

Kvitova ended up breaking her for the fourth time in the match, taking the early 2-0 lead.

Bouchard looked toward her coach. The rout was on.

Kvitova was hitting every angle. She was displaying superb power, grass-court tennis. Bouchard had no answer as Kvitova broke her again for an insurmountable 4-0 lead. Bouchard’s face read defeat.

Kvitova stood at championship point with Bouchard serving. The crowd hushed. When Kvitova hit a forehand into the far corner that left Bouchard flat-footed, for the Canadian kid it was dream delayed.

Kvitova fell to the court in relief and joy; then rushed into the crowd to hug family and friends.